“Time’s up,” called the referee.

“Score, 14 to 12 in favor of Washington High,” shouted the scorekeeper.

The pent-up emotions of the Washington rooters found vent in a prolonged cheer; then the crowd surged across the floor and surrounded Sahwah, and she was borne in triumph from the gymnasium.

Joe Lanning and his cousin Marie, avoiding the merry throng, left the building with long faces and never a word to say.

CHAPTER IX.

THE THESSALONIAN PLAY.

It was the custom each year for the Thessalonians, the Boys’ Literary Society of Washington High School, to give a play in the school auditorium.  This year the play was to be a translation of Briand’s four-act drama, “Marie Latour.”  After a careful consideration of the talents of their various girl friends, Gladys was asked to play the leading role and Sahwah was also given a part in the cast.  It was the play where the unfortunate Marie Latour, pursued by enemies, hides her child in a hollow statue of Joan of Arc.  In order to produce the piece a large statue of the Maid of Orleans was made to order.  It was constructed of some inexpensive composition and painted to look like bronze.  In the one scene a halo appears around the head of the Maid while she is sheltering the child.  This effect was produced by a circle of tiny lights worked by a storage battery inside the statue.  For the sake of convenience in installing the electric apparatus and the wiring, one half of the skirt—­it was the statue representing Joan in woman’s clothes, not the one in armor—­was made in the form of a door, which opened on hinges.  The base of the statue was of wood.  It was not finished until the day before the play and was used for the first time at the dress rehearsal, when it was left standing on the stage.

Joe Lanning was in rather a dark mood these days.  In the first place, he had lost his winter’s allowance of pocket money by staking it on the Washington-Carnegie Mechanics game.  After this he was treated coolly by a large number of his classmates, and, not knowing that the story of his treachery was being privately circulated around the school, he could not guess the reason.  The keenest desire of his life was to be made a member of the Thessalonian Literary Society, and if he had kept his record unsmirched he would have been taken in at the February election.  He confidently expected to be elected, and was already planning in his mind the things he would do and say at the meetings, and what girls he would take to the Thessalonian dances.  He received a rude shock when the election came and went and he was not taken in.  He knew from reliable sources that his name was coming up to be voted on, and it was not very flattering to realize that he had been blackballed.  From an eager interest in all Thessalonian doings his feeling changed to bitter resentment against the society.  Just now the Thessalonian play was the